Connor Wong's poor defense in 2024 make him expendable in the trade market?
The Red Sox have Kyle Teel waiting in the wings to take over as the future catcher to lead the pitching staff. Before Teel takes the helm, Boston has current starter Connor Wong ahead of him on the depth chart.
With Teel’s emergence, Wong’s days as the Red Sox starting catcher are numbered. The Red Sox have a decision to make with their catching situation this winter: keep Wong and have him platoon with Teel for 2025, trade Wong and cash in on his offensive production, or keep him and sign a veteran backup before turning the workload over to Teel.
What the Red Sox should do with Wong is an interesting topic. The 28-year-old had a great offensive season for catcher, hitting .280 with 13 homers, 24 doubles, one triple, 52 RBI, and eight stolen bases while slashing .333/.425/.758. An issue with Wong offensively was his 114 strikeouts to just 28 walks in 447 at-bats, meaning he’s not particularly selective at the dish.
Defensively, Wong was one of the worst framers in the league, ranking 57th out of 59 catchers last season with -7 framing runs. He ranked in the lower percentile for blocks above average at -12, and his pop time was 1.95. Boston’s young pitching staff could benefit from having a catcher with better behind-the-plate metrics.
Wong’s -12 blocks above average ranked toward the bottom with other catchers like the Mets' Francisco Alvarez and the Athletics’ Shea Langeliers.
The Red Sox could turn to Danny Jansen and bring him back on a short-term prove it contract. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow gave up three prospects to land Jansen from the Blue Jays, telling the fans and media he was an upgrade over Reese McGuire and a much needed right-handed bat.
Jansen ranked in the 100th percentile in blocks above average with 15 and was a better framer than Wong at -3 and had a better pop time at 1.99. You’d have to think Breslow traded for Jansen for the potential to have him beyond the 2024 season.
The former Blue Jay hit just .188 with three homers, six RBI, and striking out 19 times in 80 at-bats with the Red Sox. It’s an incredibly small sample size, and with his ability to pull the ball and tattoo the Green Monster, it makes you wonder if Breslow will opt to bring back Jansen and platoon him with Teel and trade Wong.
There’s no doubting Wong’s value to the team; he’s a good offensive player and offers versatility at other positions. If Wong is able to play other spots on the roster, particularly the outfield, he could hold more value to the Red Sox.
If Boston opts to add another external option behind the plate, Padres free agent backstop Kyle Higashioka should be under consideration. The veteran catcher was once Gerrit Cole’s primary catcher, and he was a member of San Diego’s playoff team that featured pitchers Michael King and Dylan Cease. He’s an overall better framer and could help steal some strikes and help the young pitching staff. The former Yankees catcher also ranked in the 27th percentile for caught stealing above average at -2.
Another intriguing option is Brewers catcher Gary Sánchez. If he were to hit the free agent market, Sánchez would need his mutual option declined by Milwaukee. This past season with the Brewers, Sánchez slashed .220/.307/.392 with 11 homers and 37 RBI in part-time duty (89 games). The veteran ranked in the 56th percentile at caught stealing above average and was a -1 at framing and ranked in the 54th percentile at 1.96 with pop time.
Other options on the market this winter are Carson Kelly, Yasmani Grandal, Austin Hedges, Elias Díaz, Jacob Stallings, and James McCann, to name a few. The Red Sox will need to be active and add a veteran to stash at Triple-A Worcester regardless of Teel’s status.
Ultimately, Boston needs to make the transition to Teel seamless and easy at some point in 2025. He has skyrocketed through the Red Sox system and could be a real option for the Opening Day roster.
Boston should sign a veteran or two that can be stashed in Worcester, while Teel and Wong or Jansen are the two catchers heading into 2025. Once Teel takes over, Wong can be his backup, play other positions, and potentially be dangled in trade talks to improve the roster down the stretch.
